John Baer

STAFF COLUMNIST

John Baer has written about politics and government for the Daily News since 1987. Neither subject ever fails to provide him with stories of policies and politicians walking on or skirting by paths to perdition.

The White House last evening hosted a picnic for Congress with a menu including "Corny Dogs" and chicken and funnel cake and certainly lots more, all at a cost of Lord-knows-what.

For Congress! Congress doesn't get enough to eat? The worst deliberative body on the planet needs a party in an economy where its actions and inactions continue to force citizens to scrimp and save and go without and look for jobs and pay more for health care and get less in paychecks, if they have paychecks?

The latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll puts the congressional approval rating at 18 percent, and I think THAT's generous for these clowns.

And -- talk about out-of-touch and tone deaf -- the president welcomes all these do-nothings to the White House lawn with this line: "I want you guys to eat until you can't eat any more."

Seriously? Are you, sir, living in such a cocoon of wealth and privilege that you don't know that a record number of Americans, 44 million-plus, are on food stamps!

And you want members of Congress to "eat until you can't eat any more?!?!"

I'll tell you what. How about you read that report on U.S. military involvement in Libya that your White House put out yesterday, the one that says that through June 6 we've spent $175 million and that by September the number will climb to $1.1 billion.

What? Are you telling the military to spend until you can't spend any more? And for what?

Stop it. Stop draining the nation of resources for unjustified and costly ventures in other nations that do us no good. Stop hosting parties at taxpayers expense for people doing nothing to make our lives better.

Last evening's picnic event included a pie-throwing contest. I'm just sorry I wasn't there to compete. GRRRR!!!